Court confirms Mali runoff Sunday

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Mali’s constitutional court has confirmed the official results of the first round of voting in closely watched presidential elections, dismissing complaints of irregularities.

The court said Wednesday that it ruled that nearly a dozen allegations of voting irregularities were without merit. The announcement paves the way for the runoff vote to take place as scheduled on Sunday.

The court confirmed that former prime minister Ibrahim Boubacar Keita had received 39.79 percent of the vote, while his opponent Soumaila Cisse took 19.70 percent. Keita, known by his initials “IBK,” cemented his front-runner status after winning endorsements from the vast majority of also-rans.

Mali’s presidential election is critical to restoring a democratically elected government after a coup so that more than $4 billion in promised aid by international donors can be disbursed.